Optician Trainee

• Completes a formal NYS apprenticeship, partnered with the Career Progression Program (CPP) of the National Academy of Opticianry
• provides comprehensive patient care related to patient evaluation, prescription recommendation, eyewear selection, fitting and purchase, and coordination with other health care professionals, with emphasis on retail sales
• coordinates the invoicing, cash handling, and financial arrangements with patients or responsible third-party
• coordinates service support, including inventory, equipment maintenance and repair, requisitioning of supplies, and materials
• uses specialized software to maintain customer database and report financial transactions
• fills ophthalmic eyeglass prescriptions specified by MD or OD and makes final adjustments to the eyewear
• evaluates prescriptions with consideration of the patients’ vocational and recreational visual requirements
• makes recommendations for lenses, including contact lenses, lens coatings, and frames
• measures patient's bridge and eye size, temple length, vertex distance, papillary distance, and optical centers of eyes
• determines patient’s current lens prescription by using a lensometer or lens analyzer
• assists patients in selecting frames
• instructs patients in adapting to, wearing and caring for eyeglasses and/or contact lenses
• prepares work orders
• may perform finish lens grinding
• verifies the finished lenses have been ground and fabricated to specification
• heats, shapes, or bends plastic or metal frames to adjust eyeglasses
• maintains retail inventory
• creates pleasing displays of merchandise
• maintains supplier relationships with outside finishing laboratories, optical labs and suppliers
• selects and maintains inventory and sales management software
• may dispense contact lenses

• High School diploma or GED and 6 months of retail optical experience
• possession of NYS Training Permit for Ophthalmic and/or Contact Lens Dispensing
• completion of Vision Care 1, 2, and 3 courses
• equivalent combination of education and experience
• proficiency with computers
• demonstrates customer service, written, verbal and interpersonal skills
• NYS Training permit and register with the CPP upon hire

Sales and/or retail experience